2002 - Laying a foundation

This was the year I started on the indoor plants - some of which survive to this day! The boston fern which was a housewarming gift did not survive. This was the year of the fence- a huge change - chainlink to cedar panel with lattice top.

Also a lot of plants went in according to the plans I had in 2001. So that was positive….

I’ll put it in chronological order, if you don’t like this format let me know.

March 18 – tulips and daffodils poking up.
March 19 – got fence permit.
March 23 – raked yard.
March 26 – still cold 36 degrees

April 1 - peonies staring to emerge - started looking at Roses
April 3 - ordered Roses from High Country Roses  - John Cabot, John  Davis, and Redcoat
April 15-18 Very Warm!87-88 degrees. Built raised bed for herbs and vegetables 4'x7'x20"
April 27 - dug Rose bed next to garage - double dug and soil enhanced with lots of peat
April 30 - 2 yards of dirt delivered for Rose bed and raised bed

May 4 - made decision to fenbce entire perimeter of back yard
May 5 -  put in herbs, planred some nastursium seeds
May 10 - Bare root roses arrive!
May 11-12 - roses spend some time on porch hardening off
May 13- Plant roses - I may have been somewhat impatient (!)
May 22 - John Cabot rose not looking so good - other two look strong
May 27 - Cabot looking better, signed contract for fence - Cedar panel with lattice top

June 2 - Removed Arbor Vitae with help from volunteer, the soil beneath is very rich. Moved some some day lilies. I didn't know it at the time but I'd be moving them for years!
June 7 - put Salvia in rose bed
June 10 - a blossom on red coat - Oh Joy! oh Rapture!
June 13 - old fence removed
June 14 - fence posts in
June 22- Sister gave me  2 clumps of cone flowers, put them next to salvia, plus some columbine seeds. Columbine is one of my favorites.
June 26 -  Perimeter fence finally completed - seemed like forever but really only 2 weeks.
June 29 - Mulched rose bed, put 2 more cone flowers + artemesia +  3 sedum "autum joy"
June 30 - Put in clematis "etoile violette"

Aug 2 -  roses growing, tomatoes prolific
Aug 3 - put ivy in shady bare spot on long new fence
Aug 4 - started putting  picket fence to seperate full sun garden from back which will have significant shade
Aug 8 - 4 more yards of soil arrive  (are you keeping count?) for west sunny bed
Aug 9 - finished picket fence - used pea gravel at bottom to hold in place yet allow for good drainage
Aug 12 - pit in 24' long bed that varies from 8' to 12' wide. 30 wheelbarrows of dirt - all double dug put in grasses, russian sage, iris, lambs ear, rudebecki and lilies. I noted in my journal "Boy am I tired!"

Sept 16 - Roses sending up canes - decided  to add shade structure & small tree for sure in back area.

All in all summer of 2002 was very busy and really got the bones of the garden going. I moved a lot of soil, did a lot of double digging, and sat on the deck some more picturing in my mind where I wanted to go with it. Red wine helped! For some resaon I did not take many pictures in 2002.

Next will be 2003 - also a big year - shade structure, furniture and the shade garden in the back is
installed.

A word about High Country Roses & the roses I chose. HCR is a good company to do business with, they were very nice to this novice, shiped when they said they would and the roses are still flourishing, well two of them anyway.

The roses I chose are all Shrub roses. I wanted to screen the hard corner at the garage, and since they are Canadian they will easily tolerate the zone 5a where I am. I have nothing against tea roses, just not my style. If you are looking for a good place to get roses, I recommend High Country Roses. This is not a paid endorsement.

Stay tuned!